Rectifier



Feb. 13, 1945.

M. F. SKINKER RECTIFIER Filed Nov. 23, 1943 IN VEN TOR. MMP/PAY Es/f//wff/P ATTORNEY part; and

Patented rel.- 13, 194s RECTIFIEB Murray F. slanker, Monwlalr, N. J.,assigner to Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation, New York, N. Y., acorporation of Delaware Application November z3, 1943, serial No.511,395 n 9 Claims.

Another object of this invention is to provide a'full-wave selenium typerectierwhich can be manufactured and assembled from small, easilyfabricated parts.

A furtherA object of this.invention is to provide a small full-waveselenium rectifier utilizing a minimum number of diil'er'ent parts. f.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination Vandarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plannview illustrating the general appearance of arectifier in vaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2of Fig. 1 and drawn to approximately twice the scale of that figure;

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the -line 3 3 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end view, partially in section taken alongthe line H ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 isa top plan view of one of the rectifier parts, drawn to thesame scale as Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a top plan .view of another rectifier Fig. 7 is a circuitdiagram illustrating the manner in which the construction in theprevious gures is arranged to form a full-wave bridge rectifier;

As shown in the drawing, and particularly-in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, thefull-wave rectifier ackcording to the present invention is preferablybuilt up of two rectifier units p1aced.backto`" that it fits betweenopposite end posts I2 and is formed with opposite longitudinallyextending tongues IB and 20 adapted to pass through the longitudinalgrooves I4. The tongue 20 may be formed relatively short for positioningpurposes only, while the tongue rI8 may extend outwardly beyond therectier unit to serve as a rectifier lead. 'I'he central rectangularportion of each base plate is covered with a layer of rectifyingmaterial such as selenium 22 which, in turn, is covered with aninsulating layer 24 which may be formed, for example, of paper. Thepaper layer 24 is provided with a central opening 26 andcounter-electrode alloy 28 is sprayed or otherwise applied to the paperand extends through this opening into contact with the selenium.

Above the counter-electrode alloy is placed a contact plate 30 whichpreferably has acentral opening 32 aligned with the opening through theinsulating paper 24. The central opening 32 is of such dimension thatthe plate contacts the counter-electrode alloy, but at the same time nocontact pressure is applied to the central depressed portion 34 of thecounter-electrode alloy,

this being the point at which contact is made Above the contact plate 30is positioned a sec- ,ond metal base plate IGa of identicalconfiguration with the base plate I6, but having its longitudinal tongueIta extending'in a direction oppositelyfto the tongue I8; A seleniumlayer, in-

sulating layer and counter-electrode alloy are applied to the `baseplate lia in a manner identical with the similar layer applied to thebase plate I6. Base plates ISand I6'a are built up with intermediatelayers on the insulating ybase III" in a similar manner to thatdescribed 'above but only in the opposite direction. The entire unit maythen be held together by a metal define b1 vWeen them longitudinalgrooves I4.

These posts may also extend somewhat laterally of the main part of thebase. Upon each insulating base is placed a base plate It, also of gen.

erally rectangular shape havingsuch alength.A

clamp generally designated at 36. This metal 'clamp will contact theouter counter-electrode masses and may be formed with an integralextension 3,8 which will serve as a lead to the rectiiler as a whole. Itwill be held against longitudinal movement by the lateral extension ofthe .v

posts In connect the two tongues lland I8 from the base plates I8 'and'I6' respectively together. and

for this purpose they may be bent toward one another as is more clearlyshown in Fig.- 2. The tongues Ita and It'a will be maintained sepaorderto complete the rectier, I prefer to ratei' while the fourth lead isformed by their;-A

, tegral yextension 38 on the surroundingv metal clamp.` lThe circuitforsuch a full-wave rectie'r is indicated more clearly in Fig. 7,.

In order to prevent direct contact uponI the central selenium-contactingportion of the outer clamp may be formed with hollow raised blisters 40at these two points. Attention is directed to the fact that since bothinsulating bases I0 and l' are of identical configuration, as are theindividual metal base plates with their superimposed rectifying andinsulating layers, and as also are counter-electrode masses, thesurrounding metal rectangular, and in which: the. central portions.aswell as the rectangular. A Y

i 3. Full-wave rectifier comprising, in combina; tion, a pair of rectierunits placed back-to-back, each of said units including an insulatingbase formed with a central portion having a predetermined widthandopposite vends having up- .standing portionsforming a relativelynaricw groove lying in the same plane as the said central portion, abase plate mountedv on each central portion and being formed withlongitudinal tongues iitting into saidv grooves, one tongue' or eachbase plate extending outwardly of the respective insulating b ases atthe same end of the rectifier, whereby said extended tongues may beconnected together to form a common terminal, a layer of rectifyingmaterial on each base plate, a layer of insulating material having anopening therethrough covering each rectifying layer, a counter-electrodealloy'mass on each insulating layer, extending through said opening tocontact the rectifgying layer, a contact plate on each presentinvention. For example, while the rec- .'tier as a whole has been showngenerally rec- `j tangular, it is obvious that other configurations lmay be used.

Instead of utilizing two entirely separate insulating bases, the twocould be formed as one piece with the posts or other holding membersextending from the four corners in opposite directions. sake of makingconnections 'to the rectifier, to

form'some of said connections as leads extending outwardly, integralwith the base plates, such tongues need not extend beyond the boundariesof y the insulating base and Wire leads could be soldered to the baseplates in any desired manner.

l Similarly, the extension 38 need not be formed on the metal clamp,buta lead could be attached to this metal clamp directly at any suitablepoint.

Accordingly. while I have described above the principles of my inventionin connection with a speciiic device, it is to be clearly understoodwhose bottom lies in .the same plane as the said central portion, a baseplate mounted on each central portion and being formed with longitu'dinal tongues iltting into said grooves, one tongue of each base plateextending outwardly of the respective insulating base means at the sameend of the rectifier, whereby said extended tongues may be connectedtogetherto form a common terminal, a layer of rectifying material oneach base plate, a layer of insulating material having an openingtherethrough covering each rectifying layer,` a counter-electrodel alloymass on eachv insulating layer extending through said openingto contactthe rectifying layer, lead means contacting-the two counter-electrodealloy masses,

and means holding the two recti'er units and their associated partstogether.

2. The'coxnbination according to claim- 1, in g 75 which said insulatingbase means is gencrlLvl f Whilev it is convenient forl thebases in adirection oppositely to the extending tongues on the rst base plates, alayer of rectifycounter-electrode alloy mass, said contact plate havingan 'opening therethrough substantially aligned with the opening in saidinsulating layer, a. second base plate of substantially the samelconfiguration as the first base plate lying on each contact plate, bothof said base plates having oneV tongue extending outwardly of theinsulating ing material on eachof .the second base plates,

a layer of insulating material having an opening therethrough coveringeach of these rectifying plates, a counter-electrode alloy mass on eachof these insulating layers extending therethrough said opening andmetallic. clamping means con- `that this description is made only by wayof example and not as a limitation on the scope of my invention as setforth in the objects and the 4 accompanying claims. I 50 tacting thelast counter-'electrode alloy masses and extending about both rectifyingunits.

4. The combination according to claim 3, in I which said last clampingmeans is formed with an integral protruding contact lug.

5. The combination according to claim 3, in which said contact platesplates are each formed with a central section substantially identicalwith that of the base plates, and two integral short, longitudinalextending tongues projecting into the grooves in the insulating bases.

6. The combination according to claim 3, in which said metal clampingmeans is formed with raised hollow blisters substantially aligned withthe openings through the insulatingmaterial above the -respectivecounter-electrode alloy masses. y

7. Full-wave rectier comprising, in combination, a pair of rectier unitsplaced back-t0- back, each of 'said units including an insulating baseformed with a central portion having a predetermined width and oppositeends having upstanding portions forming a relatively narrow spectiveinsulating bases at the same end of the v .a layer o! insulatingmaterial havingy an opening groove lying in the same plane as the saidcentral portion, a base plate mounted on each ceni tral portion andbeing formed with longitudinal tongues fitting into said grooves, onetongue of each base plate extendingr outwardly of the revtherethroughcovering each rectifying layer, a counter-electrode alloy mass on eachinsulating layer, extending through saidopening to contact therectifying layer, a contact plate on each basev plates are alsogeneralLvassenso counter-electrode alloy. mass, said contact platehaving an opening therethrough substantially aligned with the` openingin said insulating lay- ',er, a second base plate of substantially thesame configuration as the ilrst base plate lying on 4 .each contactplate, both oi said base plates having one tongue extending outwardly ofthe insulating bases in a direction oppositely to the tongues on thefirst base plates, a layer of rectifying material on each of the secondbase plates, a layer of insulating material having an openingtherethrough covering each of these rectifying plates, acounter-electrode alloy mass on each oi these insulating layersextending therethrough said opening, clamping means holding the tworectiner units and their associated parts together, and means forming acommon contact for the two last counter-electrode alloy masses.

8. Full-wave rectifier comprising, in combination, a pair of rectlerunits placed'back-totrai portion and being formed with longitudinaltongues fitting into said grooves, a layer o! rrectifying materialeneach base plate, a layer o! insulating material having anopeningtherethrough covering each lrectifying layer, a coun- Yter-electrode alloy mass on each-insulating layer, extending throughsaid opening to contact the rectifying layer, a second base plateofsub-- stantiallyI the same configuration as the tiret tact therectiiying `layer, metallic clamping l means contacting the lastcounter-electrode back, each of said units including an insulating ibase formed with a central portion having a predetermined width andopposite ends having upstanding portions forming a relatively narrowgroove lying in the same plane asti-1e said central portion, a baseplate mounted on each cenmasses and extending about both rectier units,and lead means connected to each o! the four base plates.

9. The combination according to claim 8, in

which said metallic clamping means is positioned between and is heldagainst longitudinal movement by the upstanding portions of the twoinsulating bases.

. MURRAY F. S.

